Red-Cooked Fresh Ham

With its meaty fragrance, this red-cooked fresh ham is a masterpiece of savory flavors, subtly herby with a deep wine taste. Here, through long simmering, the incomparable natural flavor of pork is brought to a peak. It has a size and impressive presence that, as my mother used to say, will anchor the table and focus the meal.

Rock sugar is indispensable to the well-being of this scrumptious meat—it is mellower than regular granulated sugar and it gives the sauce a lovely glossiness